5 ms·

Tcl is pretty cool as a historical curio but boy, every time I go back and look at old tcl code, even stuff that I wrote, it takes forever to wrap my head aroun

by na85 6y ago

Tcl is pretty cool as a historical curio but boy, every time I go back and look at old tcl code, even stuff that I wrote, it takes forever to wrap my head around the syntax. I'm not sure why I'd reach for Tcl today when lua exists.

kevin_thibedeau 6y ago
Tcl is highly configurable because of its simple syntax and homoiconicity. It can be stripped down to be non-Turing complete for configuration files and then built back up with custom commands to suit ones needs.
bch 6y ago
The syntax of Tcl is bog-simple, and it’s entire operational description fits in a simple man page[0]. The flexibility can certainly be abused, though that’s not strictly the fault of Tcl. [0] https://www.tcl-lang.org/man/tcl8.6/TclCmd/Tcl.htm https://www.tcl-lang.org/man/tcl8.6/TclCmd/Tcl.htm
- jcelerier 6y ago
  > The syntax of Tcl is bog-simple, and it’s entire operational description fits in a simple man page[0]. given a problem of fixed complexity, the simpler the language, the harder will the implementation of this problem have to be
  - wott 6y ago
    Yep. Languages with a simplistic syntax (and a simplistic paradigm) make writing compilers for those languages easy, but they do not make creating programs in the languages easy. We can think of Lisp, or even more of Forth. It is also a common characteristic of "esoteric" languages: providing very little syntax, very few keywords, instructions and ready-built features, is an ingredient of their recipe for obfuscation.
    - SubjectToChange 6y ago
      Why is it hard to make programs in lisp? Especially in something like Common Lisp?
    - monetus 6y ago
      Here is a pretty neat tcl->Llvm compiler https://core.tcl-lang.org/tclquadcode/dir https://core.tcl-lang.org/tclquadcode/dir There is a talk on youtube about it I know
  - bch 6y ago
    Not sure how to respond - you’re not necessarily wrong, but Tcl is also not Brainfuck[0]. The GP was indicating: > it takes forever to wrap my head around the syntax. ... which (from observation) is often from second-guessing or overthinking the rules. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainfuck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainfuck
deleted 6y ago
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eadmund 6y ago
> I'm not sure why I'd reach for Tcl today when lua exists. Regular syntax, for one thing. Command-oriented sensibility, too.

by na85 6y ago

kevin_thibedeau 6y ago

Tcl is highly configurable because of its simple syntax and homoiconicity. It can be stripped down to be non-Turing complete for configuration files and then built back up with custom commands to suit ones needs.

bch 6y ago

The syntax of Tcl is bog-simple, and it’s entire operational description fits in a simple man page[0]. The flexibility can certainly be abused, though that’s not strictly the fault of Tcl. [0] https://www.tcl-lang.org/man/tcl8.6/TclCmd/Tcl.htm https://www.tcl-lang.org/man/tcl8.6/TclCmd/Tcl.htm

jcelerier 6y ago
> The syntax of Tcl is bog-simple, and it’s entire operational description fits in a simple man page[0]. given a problem of fixed complexity, the simpler the language, the harder will the implementation of this problem have to be
- wott 6y ago
  Yep. Languages with a simplistic syntax (and a simplistic paradigm) make writing compilers for those languages easy, but they do not make creating programs in the languages easy. We can think of Lisp, or even more of Forth. It is also a common characteristic of "esoteric" languages: providing very little syntax, very few keywords, instructions and ready-built features, is an ingredient of their recipe for obfuscation.
  - SubjectToChange 6y ago
    Why is it hard to make programs in lisp? Especially in something like Common Lisp?
  - monetus 6y ago
    Here is a pretty neat tcl->Llvm compiler https://core.tcl-lang.org/tclquadcode/dir https://core.tcl-lang.org/tclquadcode/dir There is a talk on youtube about it I know
- bch 6y ago
  Not sure how to respond - you’re not necessarily wrong, but Tcl is also not Brainfuck[0]. The GP was indicating: > it takes forever to wrap my head around the syntax. ... which (from observation) is often from second-guessing or overthinking the rules. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainfuck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainfuck

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

eadmund 6y ago

> I'm not sure why I'd reach for Tcl today when lua exists. Regular syntax, for one thing. Command-oriented sensibility, too.